Alpine Soils Research Articles

What makes soil landscape robust? Landscape sensitivity towards land use changes in a Swiss southern Alpine valley

Landscape sensitivity is a concept referring to the likelihood that changes in land use may affect in an irreversible way physical and chemical soil properties of the concerned landscape. The objective of this study is to quantitatively assess the sensitivity of the southern Alpine soil landscape regarding land use change-induced perturbations. Alpine soil landscapes can be considered as particularly sensitive to land use changes because their effects tend to be enhanced by frequent extreme climatic and topographic conditions as well as intense geomorphologic activity. In detail, the following soil key properties for soil vulnerability were analysed: (i) soil texture, (ii) bulk density, (iii) soil organic carbon (SOC), (iv) saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), (v) aggregate stability and (vi) soil water repellency (SWR). The study area is characterized by a steep, east-west oriented valley, strongly anthropized in the last centuries followed by a progressive abandonment. This area is particularly suitable due to constant lithological conditions, extreme topographic and climatic conditions as well as historic land use changes. The analysis of land use change effects on soil properties were performed through a linear mixed model approach due to the nested structure of the data. Our results show a generally high stability of the assessed soils in terms of aggregate stability and noteworthy thick soils. The former is remarkable, since aggregate stability, which is commonly used for detecting land use-induced changes in soil erosion susceptibility, was always comparably high irrespective of land use. The stability of the soils is mainly related to a high amount of soil organic matter favouring the formation of stable soil aggregates, decreasing soil erodibility and hence, reducing soil loss by erosion. However, the most sensitive soil property to land use change was SWR that is partly influenced by the amount of soil organic carbon and probably by the quality and composition of SOM.

Distribution of soil macrofauna across different habitats in the Eastern European Alps

Macro-invertebrates are important components of soil ecosystems as they provide a wide range of crucial functions and ecosystem services. Knowledge on their distribution in mountain soils is scarce despite the importance of such soils for people living in mountain regions as well as downstream. The present dataset contains records on soil macro-invertebrates belonging to nineteen taxa listed at class or order level and earthworms listed at species level from 22 different habitat types characteristic for the Eastern European Alps. Data were collected over a period of more than 30 years (1987–2020) following a standard protocol. We compiled 1572 single records from 241 unique sampling sites, providing default site parameters (GPS coordinates, habitat type, type of management, elevation, exposition, inclination, bedrock, soil type following WRB classification). Such data are important to analyse global trends and macroecological patterns and to set a basis for tracking long-term changes in macrofauna composition. In addition, this dataset will add to the still sparse knowledge on the occurrence and abundance of alpine soil fauna taxa.

Nitrogen fertilizer enhances vegetation establishment of a high‐altitude machine‐graded ski slope

Machine grading is frequently required to prepare the terrain when building high‐altitude ski slopes in the Alps. However, this kind of disturbance alters the natural environment, destroying the vegetation and hampering its reestablishment. Thus, specific restoration plans are necessary to encourage the recovery of vegetation, which is already affected by different natural constraints in this harsh environment. One of the main critical factors affecting plant growth in high‐altitude areas is the lack of available nitrogen (N) in the soil. In this context, the addition of a slow‐release N fertilizer was carried out in an experimental revegetated ski slope between 2,800 and 2,900 m above sea level in the western Italian Alps. Both vegetation and soil were monitored during a 5‐year period in order to test the effectiveness of N addition on the restoration process. Even if effects on soil carbon and N contents were negligible, vegetation was remarkably affected by the fertilization, since the total vegetation cover and the species richness significantly increased. Against the expectations, there was a remarkable increase in spontaneous forbs, rather than in most of the sown graminoids, which slightly varied during the experimental period. Actually, graminoids responded in different ways, mostly increasing (likewise forbs), but the slight decrease of the dominant Festuca nigrescens (Chewing's Fescue) masked their spread. This study confirms the noteworthy role of N in high‐altitude alpine soils and consequently its importance to improve the restoration process of degraded ecosystems.

The plastisphere microbiome in alpine soils alters the microbial genetic potential for plastic degradation and biogeochemical cycling

Plastic is exceedingly abundant in soils, but little is known about its ecological consequences for soil microbiome functioning. Here we report the impacts of polyethylene and biodegradable Ecovio and BI-OPL plastic films buried in alpine soils for 5 months on the genetic potential of the soil microbiome using shotgun metagenomics. The microbiome was more affected by Ecovio and BI-OPL than by polyethylene. Fungi, α- and β-Proteobacteria dominated on the biodegradable films. Ecovio and BI-OPL showed signs of degradation after the incubation, whereas polyethylene did not. Genes involved in cellular processes and signaling (intracellular trafficking, secretion, vesicular transport), as well as metabolism (carbohydrate, lipid and secondary metabolism), were enriched in the plastisphere. Several α/β-hydrolase gene families (cutinase_like, polyesterase-lipase-cutinase, carboxylesterase), which encode enzymes essential to plastic degradation, and carbohydrate-active genes involved in lignin and murein degradation increased on Ecovio and BI-OPL films. Enriched nitrogen fixation and organic N degradation and synthesis genes and decreased nitrification genes on Ecovio altered the biogeochemical cycling, leading to higher ammonium concentrations and depletion of nitrite and nitrate in the soil. Our results indicate that plastics affect the alpine soil microbiome and its functions and suggest that the plastisphere has an untapped microbial potential for plastic biodegradation.

Study on Dynamic Changes of Soil Erosion in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou

The North and South Mountains of Lanzhou City are the ecological protection barriers and an important part of the ecological system of Lanzhou City. This study takes the North and South Mountains as the study area, calculates the soil erosion modulus of the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou City based on the five major soil erosion factors in the RUSLE model, and analyses the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil erosion in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou City and the soil erosion characteristics under different environmental factors. The results of the study show that: The intensity of soil erosion is dominated by slight erosion, which was distributed in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the North and South Mountains in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018. Under different environmental factors, the soil erosion modulus increased with elevation and then decreased; the soil erosion modulus increased with a slope; the average soil erosion modulus of grassland was the largest, followed by forest land, cultivated land, unused land, construction land, and it was the smallest for water; except for bare land, the average soil erosion modulus decreases with the increase of vegetation cover; Soil erosion modulus was the greatest in the pedocal of the North and South Mountains, and the least in the alpine soil.

Snowmelt-Driven Seasonal Infiltration and Flow in the Upper Critical Zone, Niwot Ridge (Colorado), USA

The hydrology of alpine and subalpine areas in the Colorado Front Range (USA) is evolving, driven by warming and by the alteration of precipitation patterns, the timing of snowmelt, and other components of the hydrologic budget. Field measurements of soil hydraulic conductivity and moisture along 30-m transects (n = 13) of representative soils developed in surficial deposits and falling head slug tests of shallow groundwater in till demonstrate that hydraulic conductivity in the soil is comparable to hydraulic conductivity values in the shallow aquifer. Soil hydraulic conductivity values were variable (medians ranged from 5.6 × 10−7 to 4.96 × 10−5 m s−1) and increased in alpine areas underlain by periglacial deposits. Hydraulic conductivities measured by a modified Hvorslev technique in test wells ranged from 4.86 × 10−7 to 1.77 × 10−4 m s−1 in subalpine till. The results suggest a gradient from higher hydraulic conductivity in alpine zones, where short travel paths through periglacial deposits support ephemeral streams and wetlands, to lower hydraulic conductivity in the till-mantled subalpine zone. In drier downstream areas, streambed infiltration contributes substantially to near-channel groundwater. As summer temperatures and evapotranspiration (ET) increase and snowmelt occur earlier, alpine soils are likely to become more vulnerable to drought, and groundwater levels in the critical zone may lower, affecting the connectivity between late-melting snow, meltwater streams, and the areas they affect downstream.

Candidatus Nitrosopolaris, a genus of putative ammonia-oxidizing archaea with a polar/alpine distribution.

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are key players in the nitrogen cycle of polar soils. Here, we analyzed metagenomic data from tundra soils in Rásttigáisá, Norway, and recovered four metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) assigned to the genus 'UBA10452', an uncultured lineage of putative AOA in the order Nitrososphaerales ('terrestrial group I.1b'), phylum Thaumarchaeota. Analysis of other eight previously reported MAGs and publicly available amplicon sequencing data revealed that the UBA10452 lineage is predominantly found in acidic polar and alpine soils. In particular, UBA10452 MAGs were more abundant in highly oligotrophic environments such as mineral permafrost than in more nutrient-rich, vegetated tundra soils. UBA10452 MAGs harbour multiple copies of genes related to cold tolerance, particularly genes involved in DNA replication and repair. Based on the phylogenetic, biogeographic, and ecological characteristics of 12 UBA10452 MAGs, which include a high-quality MAG (90.8% complete, 3.9% redundant) with a nearly complete 16S rRNA gene, we propose a novel Candidatus genus, Ca. Nitrosopolaris, with four species representing clear biogeographic/habitat clusters.

Fungal communities in European alpine soils are not affected by short-term in situ simulated warming than bacterial communities.

The impact of global warming on biological communities colonizing European alpine ecosystems was recently studied. Hexagonal open top chambers (OTCs) were used for simulating a short-term in situ warming (estimated around 1°C) in some alpine soils to predict the impact of ongoing climate change on resident microbial communities. Total microbial DNA was extracted from soils collected either inside or outside the OTCs over 3 years of study. Bacterial and fungal rRNA copies were quantified by qPCR. Metabarcoding sequencing of taxonomy target genes was performed (Illumina MiSeq) and processed by bioinformatic tools. Alpha- and beta-diversity were used to evaluate the structure of bacterial and fungal communities. qPCR suggests that, although fluctuations have been observed between soils collected either inside and outside the OTCs, the simulated warming induced a significant (p < 0.05) shift only for bacterial abundance. Likewise, significant (p < 0.05) changes in bacterial community structure were detected in soils collected inside the OTCs, with a clear increase of oligotrophic taxa. On the contrary, fungal diversity of soils collected either inside and outside the OTCs did not exhibit significant (p < 0.05) differences, suggesting that the temperature increase in OTCs compared to ambient conditions was not sufficient to change fungal communities.

Lowland plant arrival in alpine ecosystems facilitates a decrease in soil carbon content under experimental climate warming.

Climate warming is releasing carbon from soils around the world, constituting a positive climate feedback. Warming is also causing species to expand their ranges into new ecosystems. Yet, in most ecosystems, whether range expanding species will amplify or buffer expected soil carbon loss is unknown. Here, we used two whole-community transplant experiments and a follow-up glasshouse experiment to determine whether the establishment of herbaceous lowland plants in alpine ecosystems influences soil carbon content under warming. We found that warming (transplantation to low elevation) led to a negligible decrease in alpine soil carbon content, but its effects became significant and 52% ± 31% (mean ± 95% confidence intervals) larger after lowland plants were introduced at low density into the ecosystem. We present evidence that decreases in soil carbon content likely occurred via lowland plants increasing rates of root exudation, soil microbial respiration, and CO2 release under warming. Our findings suggest that warming-induced range expansions of herbaceous plants have the potential to alter climate feedbacks from this system, and that plant range expansions among herbaceous communities may be an overlooked mediator of warming effects on carbon dynamics.

How the development of barren land into orchards affects soil ecosystem in Tibet, China

Fruit production is an important strategy for alleviating poverty on the Tibetan Plateau and leads to the conversion of natural barren land into orchards. This study aimed to understand how the conversion of barren land to peach (Prunus persica) orchards affects soil nutrients, heavy metals, and fungal communities in the 0–40 cm profile (at 20 cm intervals) in an experiment including three treatments, barren land (BL), peach orchards planting for 4 years (Y4), and peach orchards planting for 10 years (Y10). Results of the experiment showed that compared with BL, Y4 reduced the availability of some macronutrients (N and K) and micronutrients (Fe and Mn) due to the exclusive application of chemical fertilizer at the seedling stage. Conversely, Y10, which included six years of green cultivation management, using a combination of sheep manure and chemical fertilizer as well as alfalfa (Medicago sativa Linn) intercropping, effectively improved soil macronutrients, but did not enhance the availability of Fe and Mn. Although the investigated heavy metals (As, Hg, Pb, Cr, and Cd) in both the Y4 and Y10 soils were found to pose a low risk to food safety and soil environment, Hg, Cr, and As tended to accumulate in the subsoil (20–40 cm). Furthermore, the variations in the fungal community composition and functional groups were mainly driven by the interaction effects of macronutrients, micronutrients, and heavy metals, but their independent contribution to specific key functional groups cannot be overlooked. For example, Y4 and Y10 decreased the relative abundance of soil saprotrophic and lichenized fungi, mainly due to the loss of micronutrients (Fe and Mn). However, as a result of macronutrient input and dung saprotrophic fungi enrichment, orchard soils promoted the growth of pathogens that play critical roles in fungal co-occurrence networks. These findings indicate that supplementation with N or K fertilizer or manure at the seedling stage and fertilizers rich in Fe and Mn throughout the growth period would be beneficial to the balance of soil nutrients and provide insights into linking the variations in soil nutrients and heavy metals to the function of the fungal community during the conversion of barren land to orchards in alpine soil ecosystems. The risks posed by heavy metal accumulation and fungal pathogen enrichment should be actively prevented.

Changes in Alpine Soil Bacterial Communities With Altitude and Slopes at Mount Shergyla, Tibetan Plateau: Diversity, Structure, and Influencing Factors.

The alpine ecosystem as one of the most representative terrestrial ecosystems has been highly concerned due to its susceptibility to anthropogenic impacts and climatic changes. However, the distribution pattern of alpine soil bacterial communities and related deterministic factors still remain to be explored. In this study, soils were collected from different altitudes and slope aspects of the Mount (Mt.) Shergyla, Tibetan Plateau, and were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene-based bioinformatics approaches. Acidobacteriota and Proteobacteria were identified consistently as the two predominant phyla in all soil samples, accounting for approximately 74% of the bacterial community. The alpha diversity of the soil bacterial community generally increased as the vegetation changed with the elevated altitude, but no significant differences in alpha diversity were observed between the two slopes. Beta diversity analysis of bacterial community showed that soil samples from the north slope were always differentiated obviously from the paired samples at the south slope with the same altitude. The whole network constituted by soil bacterial genera at the Mt. Shergyla was parsed into eight modules, and Elev-16S-573, Sericytochromatia, KD4-96, TK10, Pedomicrobium, and IMCC26256 genera were identified as the “hubs” in the largest module. The distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) demonstrated that variations in soil bacterial community thereof with the altitude and slope aspects at the Mt. Shergyla were closely associated with environmental variables such as soil pH, soil water content, metal concentrations, etc. Our results suggest that environmental variables could serve as the deterministic factors for shaping the spatial pattern of soil bacterial community in the alpine ecosystems.

Multifractal dimensions of soil particle size distribution reveal the erodibility and fertility of alpine grassland soils in the Northern Tibet Plateau

Climate change and human activities have seriously degraded alpine grassland, potentially affecting soil particle size distribution (PSD) and further influencing the nutrient levels and erodibility of soil. Predicting the fertility and erodibility of alpine soil using multifractal dimensions of soil PSD could be used to enhance the management and restoration of degraded alpine grasslands. In the present study, we evaluated three types of alpine grasslands: alpine meadow (AM), alpine steppe (AS), and alpine desert steppe (ADS). Fencing and grazing management measures were conducted at sites containing each grassland type. Then, we analyzed the PSDs, erodibility, and other properties of soil in the 0–20 cm soil layer. Multifractal characterization of soil PSD was calculated using the fractal scale theory. The findings showed that grassland type significantly impacted soil nutrients and the multifractal dimensions of soil PSDs, whereas management measures affected soil erodibility significantly. The proportion of finer particles decreased as follows: AM > AS > ADS. Compared to grazing, fencing enhanced clay content and reduced the proportion of coarser particles under all three grassland types. AM had higher organic carbon and nitrogen levels than AS and ADS. Multifractal dimensions were highest for AM, with ADS having higher erodibility than AM and AS. Multifractal dimensions (except for correlation dimension) also had significantly positive relationships with soil organic carbon and available nutrient content and soil erodibility, but had significantly negative correlations with soil pH, bulk density, and electrical conductivity. Thus, the multifractal dimensions of soil PSDs could be used to characterize the erodibility and fertility characteristics of soil in alpine regions, providing a reference for assessing vegetation restoration measures in the Northern Tibet Plateau.

Expression, purification and crystallization of a novel metagenome-derived salicylaldehyde dehydrogenase from Alpine soil.

Salicylaldehyde dehydrogenase (SALD) catalyses the last reaction in the upper pathway of naphthalene degradation: the oxidation of salicylaldehyde to salicylate. This enzyme has been isolated and studied from a few organisms that belong to the betaproteobacteria and gammaproteobacteria, predominantly Pseudomonas putida. Furthermore, there is only one crystal structure of this enzyme, which was obtained from P. putida G7. Here, crystallographic studies and analysis of the crystal structure of an Alpine soil metagenome-derived SALD (SALDAP) from an alphaproteobacterium are presented. The SALDAP gene was discovered using gene-targeted sequence assembly and it was cloned into a pLATE51 vector. The recombinant protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells and the soluble protein was purified to homogeneity. The protein crystallized at 20°C and diffraction data from the crystals were collected at a resolution of 1.9 Å. The crystal belonged to the orthorhombic space group C2221, with unit-cell parameters a = 116.8, b = 121.7, c= 318.0 Å. Analysis of the crystal structure revealed its conformation to be similar to the organization of the aldehyde dehydrogenase superfamily with three domains: the catalytic, NAD+-binding and bridging domains. The crystal structure of NahF from P.putida G7 was found to be the best structural homologue of SALDAP, even though the enzymes share only 48% amino-acid identity. Interestingly, a carboxylic acid (protocatechuic acid) was found to be a putative ligand of the enzyme and differential scanning fluorimetry was employed to confirm ligand binding. These findings open up the possibility of studying the mechanism(s) of product inhibition and biocatalysis of carboxylic acids using this enzyme and other related aldehyde dehydrogenases.

Experimental evidence for the impact of soil viruses on carbon cycling during surface plant litter decomposition

To date, the potential impact of viral communities on biogeochemical cycles in soil has largely been inferred from correlational evidence, such as virus-driven changes in microbial abundances, viral auxiliary metabolic genes, and links with soil physiochemical properties. To more directly test the impact of soil viruses on carbon cycling during plant litter decomposition, we added concentrated viral community suspensions to complex litter decomposer communities in 40-day microcosm experiments. Microbial communities from two New Mexico alpine soils, Pajarito (PJ) and Santa Fe (SF), were inoculated onto grass litter on sand, and three treatments were applied in triplicate to each set of microcosms: addition of buffer (no added virus), live virus (+virus), or killed-virus (+killed-virus) fractions extracted from the same soil. Significant differences in respiration were observed between the +virus and +killed-virus treatments in the PJ, but not the SF microcosms. Bacterial and fungal community composition differed significantly by treatment in both PJ and SF microcosms. Combining data across both soils, viral addition altered links between bacterial and fungal diversity, dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen. Overall, we demonstrate that increasing viral pressure in complex microbial communities can impact terrestrial biogeochemical cycling but is context-dependent.

Composition and functioning of the soil microbiome in the highest altitudes of the Italian Alps and potential effects of climate change

As the European Alps are experiencing a strong climate warming, this study analyzed the soil microbiome at different altitudes and among different vegetation types at the Stelvio Pass (Italian Alps), aiming to (i) characterize the composition and functional potential of the microbiome of soils and their gene expression during the peak vegetative stage; (ii) explore the potential short-term (using open-top chambers) and long-term (space-for-time substitutions) effects of increasing temperature on the alpine soil microbiome. We found that the functional potential of the soil microbiome and its expression differed among vegetation types. Microbial α-diversity increased along the altitudinal gradient. At lower altitude, shrubland had the highest proportion of fungi, which was correlated with higher amounts of CAZymes, specific for degrading fungal biomass and recalcitrant plant biopolymers. Subalpine upward vegetation shift could lead a possible loss of species of alpine soils. Shrub encroachment may accelerate higher recalcitrant C decomposition and reduce total ecosystem C storage, increasing the efflux of CO2 to the atmosphere with a positive feedback to warming. A total of 5 years of warming had no effect on the composition and functioning of microbial communities, indicating that longer-term warming experiments are needed to investigate the effects of temperature increases on the soil microbiome.

Hidden paleosols on a high-elevation Alpine plateau (NW Italy): Evidence for Lateglacial Nunatak?

Alpine soils can provide valuable paleo-environmental information, representing a powerful tool for paleoclimate reconstruction. However, since Pleistocene glaciations and erosion-related processes erased most of the pre-existing landforms and soils, reconstructing soil and landscape development in high-mountain areas can be a difficult task. In particular, a relevant lack of information exists on the transition between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM ~21,000 yr BP) and the Holocene (~11,700 yr BP), with this climatic shift that plays a crucial role for environmental thresholds identification. The present study aims at reconstructing the history and origin of hidden paleosols inside periglacial blockstreams and blockfields on a high-elevation Alpine plateau (Stolenberg Plateau) above 3000 m a.s.l., in the Northwestern Italian Alps. The results indicate that these soils recorded the main warming climatic phases occurred from the end of the LGM until the Late Holocene ~4000 yr BP. Our reconstructions, together with the high carbon stocks of these paleosols, suggest that during warming phases the environmental conditions on the Plateau were suitable for plant life and pedogenesis, already since 22,000–21,000 yr BP. These paleosols reasonably evidence the existence of a Lateglacial Nunatak representing, to our knowledge, one of the first documented relict non-glacial surfaces in the high-elevated European Alps. Thus, the Stolenberg Plateau provides important information about past climate and surface processes since the end of LGM, suggesting new perspectives on the long-term landscape evolution of the high European Alps. • Mountain soils provide paleo-environmental information. • High-elevation Umbrisols recorded the main warming climatic phases since ~21 ka. • The Plateau probably hosted vegetation since the end of Last Glacial Maximum. • Soil organic matter likely originated from alpine flora similar to the present one. • The Stolenberg Plateau represents a Lateglacial Alpine Nunatak.

Nitrogen addition altered the microbial functional potentials of carbon and nitrogen transformation in alpine steppe soils on the Tibetan Plateau

The microbial-mediated functional potentials of soil can be reflected by the abundance of corresponding microbial functional genes (MFGs). Few studies have simultaneously examined the responses of multiple key MFGs involving soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) transformation to N deposition, particularly under multiple application levels. In this study, we treated the alpine soil from the Tibetan Plateau with N fertilization at six addition rates. Absolute quantitative analysis was used to detect the abundance of MFGs related to soil C process: carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) fixation( cbbL ), methane (CH 4 ) oxidation ( pmoA ) and production ( mcrA ), and soil N process: ammonia oxidation (AOA- amoA : archaea amoA , AOB- amoA : bacterial amoA ), hydroxylamine oxidation ( hao ), nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) reduction ( narG / napA , nirS / nirK , norB , and nosZ ). The abundance of MFGs involved in both the soil C and N transformation processes were reduced as N rates increased (except AOB- amoA gene). Specifically, the abundance of the mcrA , AOA- amoA , nirK , norB , and nosZ genes were decreased non-linearly (U-shape) with the increasing N rates ( P < 0.05). The soil pH and dissolved organic C (DOC) concentration were positively correlated with the abundance of those MFGs, suggesting that the decreases in abundance of MFGs were more likely to be driven by changes of soil pH and DOC concentration. In contrast, the abundance of AOB- amoA gene increased linearly with the increasing N rates, which was strongly and positively correlated with soil nitrate-N (NO 3 – -N) concentration ( P < 0.001, r = 0.82). In addition, soil greenhouse gases emissions linked with the abundance of corresponding MFGs. Specifically, the soil CO 2 and N 2 O emissions were strongly and positively correlated with the AOB- amoA gene abundance ( P < 0.001, r = 0.78, r = 0.84), and the soil CH 4 emissions were significantly correlated with the pmoA ( P < 0.01, r = 0.60) and AOA- amoA ( P < 0.001, r = 0.72) gene abundance. The above results showed that the AOB- amoA gene had a positive response to increasing N rates, which was different from other genes. Indicating that elevated N deposition may improve the ammonia-oxidation process in alpine steppe soil mediated by AOB communities, and AOB communities may play an important role in donating the soil-atmosphere C and N exchange via CO 2 and N 2 O emissions. • The abundance of both C- and N-related MFGs were affected by N input rates. • N addition oppositely influenced on AOA- amoA and AOB- amoA gene. • The MFGs abundances were primarily regulated by soil DOC and pH under N addition. • Soil CO 2 and N 2 O emissions were strongly and positively correlated to AOB- amoA gene abundance.

Simulated response of soil organic carbon density to climate change in the Northern Tibet permafrost region

Climate warming can enhance the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM), thereby increasing the rate of carbon release from soils. In permafrost regions, climate warming alters the nature of freeze–thaw cycles by affecting sub-surface hydrology and soil temperature, thereby impacting the decomposition of SOM. However, this process is rarely considered in projections of the long-term dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in response to climate change. Here, we employ the CENTURY-FTC model, which implements a freeze–thaw module in the CENTURY model, to simulate the response of top soil organic carbon density (SOCD) at 0–20 cm depth to climate change in the permafrost region of Northern Tibet. Our findings suggest that (i) the average SOCD was 2.123 kg C m−2 in 2015; (ii) the SOCD decreased at an average rate of 0.7 × 10−3 kg C m−2 year−1 for the period 1961–2015; and (iii) SOCD decreases spatially from south to north across Northern Tibet. Under various climate scenarios, the SOCD is projected to decrease significantly throughout Northern Tibet from 2016 to 2050, with the decline being most pronounced under the representative concentration-pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario, which projects an increase in global mean surface temperature of 4.5 °C by 2100. Superimposed on this pattern, regional differences might be driven by vegetation type, with the largest decrements occurring in southern, alpine-meadow-dominated areas and the smallest in the northern alpine desert. We propose that this declining trend will be enhanced as climate warming continues and might be amplified by the increase in freeze–thaw processes. The addition of a freeze–thaw module to the CENTURY model changes projections of SOCD change due to climate. Whereas the freeze–thaw cycle has had little impact during the baseline period, its influence is likely to increase as climate warming continues. By 2050, freeze–thaw processes are projected to contribute 3% to SOCD decline under the RCP2.6 scenario, which projects a rise in global mean surface temperature of 1.5 °C by 2100, and as much as 10% under the RCP8.5 scenario. In general, future warming is likely to result in declining SOCD throughout Northern Tibet and a reduction in the capacity of alpine soils to sequester carbon.

Changing controls of soil water retention in an alpine catchment: Integrating sedimentological and pedological processes

Soil’s hydrological and ecological functions depend largely on soil water retention, which is affected by both structural and compositional soil properties. Studies have shown that alpine soils derived from sediments with different origins in the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau differ significantly in terms of particle size distribution, bulk density and soil organic carbon content. However, the variation pattern and its drivers of soil water retention in this region remain unclear. In this study, soil water retention characteristics (saturated soil water capacity, field capacity, wilting point and plant available water capacity) from different geomorphic settings (i.e., hillslopes, alluvial fans and floodplains) of an alpine catchment in the western part of the Qilian Mountains were analyzed in relation to sediment types and soil properties. Results show that soil water retention varies significantly with sediment types. Soils with an aeolian origin have a higher capacity to retain water compared with soils developed on fluvial sediments. Variations in soil water retention are mainly controlled by particle size distribution for fluvial sediments and by soil organic carbon content for aeolian sediments. The accumulation of soil organic carbon enhances plant available water capacity for sandy fluvial sediments but not for silty fluvial and aeolian sediments. The critical eco-hydrological functions of the mattic surface soil horizon in relation to water retention, runoff regulation and erosion control were highlighted for the alpine ecosystems. By deciphering sedimentological and pedological controls of soil water retention, this study improves the understanding of the evolution and functioning of alpine soils, which has further implications for other sedimentary ecosystems.

Simulating wildfires with lab-heating experiments: Drivers and mechanisms of water repellency in alpine soils

Wildfires induce deep modifications in soils. Water Repellency (WR) is one of the prime edaphic properties experiencing alterations upon heating. Despite occurrence, extent and persistence of burning-induced soil WR has been extensively discussed, the dynamics at the basis of its formation (and loss) are still widely unclear. The vast majority of research on this topic has been conducted in the Mediterranean area, even if alpine environments are far from being untouched by fires. Alpine soils are less developed than Mediterranean ones, and differ in mineralogy and composition of organic matter (and thereby present different interactions). We thus wanted to clarify some key mechanisms regulating WR thermal alterations in an understudied environment.Our sampling design aimed at collecting soils representative of the Western Alps. Sample heating was performed in the lab at fixed temperatures (up to 300 °C), on a set of A horizons developed under pine and beech forest covers. Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) and Sessile Drop Contact Angle (CA) were used to test WR. Soils were analyzed in terms of organic matter (OM), pH, serpentine relative abundance, texture and DCB-extractable iron (Fe).WR was found to be extremely variable. Soils rich in OM, especially if containing abundant aromatic compounds, were found to be the most hydrophobic at room temperature. In samples exhibiting an increase in WR upon burning, repellency was maximized in correspondence of 200 °C. WR was drastically lost when samples were heated at temperatures greater than 200 °C. Above this threshold, pH systematically increased and the percentage of organic carbon (OC) sharply decreased. The change in pH is likely to have triggered an increase in the negative charge of mineral surfaces, resulting in a significant OM desorption and OC oxidation, eventually leading to a super-hydrophilic behavior in soil. The present investigation evidenced the susceptibility of Alpine soils towards thermal alteration, addressing the factors (organic matter composition and mineralogy) that mostly influence the hydrophobic behavior of these soils.